This report uses quantitative data collected as part of the evaluation of the Education
Maintenance Allowance Pilots to explore comparatively the destinations and achievements of
young people from different ethnic minority backgrounds. The report covers two cohorts of
young people who finished compulsory education in the summer of 1999 and 2000
respectively and who were interviewed three times at one year intervals, that is, when they
were approximately 16, 17 and 18 years of age. It combines data from a random sample of
young people in ten EMA pilot areas and 11 control areas
Part A of the report focuses on 14,700 young people at the time of their first interview which
took place shortly after the end of compulsory education. It compares young people’s school
experiences during Years 10 and 11, their qualifications at the end of Year 11, their
destinations immediately after compulsory education, the advice they received during Year
11 about these destinations and the reasons they gave for their choice of destination. The final
section reflects on the role of EMA on decisions to remain in post-16 education. Data in Part
A have been weighted to be representative of all young people in the pilot and control areas.
Part B of the report concentrates on 8,300 young people who had taken part in the first three
survey interviews. It compares the destinations at ages 17 and 18 of those who initially
remained in full-time education at age 16 and then considers the destinations at age 18 of all
young people, irrespective of whether they initially remained in education, and explores the
relationship between destination, ethnicity and other characteristics known to be associated
with remaining in education. The final piece of the analysis explores the relationships
between ethnicity, destinations at ages 16, 17 and 18 controlling for certain of these
characteristics. Data in Part B have been weighted to be representative of all young people in
the pilot and control areas and to take account of differential attrition from the sample between survey interviews.

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This report is also available electronically at: http://www.dfes.gov.uk/research/data/uploadfiles/rr627.pdf